eCommerce

White Plains, N.Y. - IBM has unveiled the ‘Ready for Smarter Commerce’ program, a new ecosystem that gives clients access to certified pre-built partner solutions with integrated cloud, mobile and social capabilities. The ecosystem features partner-led solutions built on IBM Smarter Commerce capabilities such as IBM Commerce and IBM Digital Marketing Optimization.   

Seattle -- Amazon said it is hiring more than 2,500 full-time workers at order-fulfillment centers across the country.

"Today, we're excited to announce 2,500 full-time jobs, bringing new employment opportunities to local communities across the country," said Mike Roth, Amazon’s VP of North America operations, in a company statement.

Eco Depot has signed a letter of intent with Water Technology Development to distribute a new portable water purification device called the WaterGizzi. Eco Depot plans to market the product as part of its eco-friendly product line, which also includes the Click and Pour and the recently acquired WaterGeeks filtration brand.

Littleton, Mass. -- Dover Saddlery reported a preliminary unaudited decline of 6% in its year-over-year net income for 2013, from $1.7 million to $1.6 million. Preliminary unaudited revenues for 2013 increased $7.5 million, or 8.7%, to approximately $93.8 million from $86.3 million achieved in 2012.

Same-store sales rose 4% for the year. In addition, Dover Saddlery expects to open five to seven new stores in fiscal 2014 and also expand its e-commerce operation.

Philadelphia – Urban Outfitters reported substantial gains in net sales for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2014. Total company sales in the quarter increased 6% to $906 million, less than Wall Street expected, from $856.8 million in the year-ago period.

Same-store retail segment net sales, which include the direct-to-consumer channel, increased 1%. Same-store retail segment net sales increased 20% at Free People and 10% at Anthropologie and decreased 9% at Urban Outfitters. Wholesale segment net sales rose 24%.

Urban Outfitters reported substantial gains in net sales for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2014, driven primarily by the company’s Anthropologie and Free People brands.

Total company sales in the quarter increased 6% to $906 million from $856.8 million in the year-ago period — less than Wall Street expected.

Toward the end of January, the Wall Street Journal reported that Wal-Mart has given itself two years to match the online service and delivery speed of Amazon.com.

In an interview at the World Economic forum in Davos, Switzerland, Neil Ashe, Wal-Mart’s global e-commerce CEO told Journal reporter Dennis Berman was building new warehouses across the country dedicated to handling online orders.

Residents of the Washington, D.C., metro area can now have products ordered from supermarket operator Harris Teeter delivered within the hour following Instacart’s entry into the market.

Instacart’s network of personal shoppers began delivering items ordered from Harris Teeter on Feb. 11. The service provider expects to add other retailers in the coming weeks which would allow shoppers to combine items from multiple stores in a single order and have them delivered in as little as one hour.